In supermarkets, many products are offered in “maxi” or family format. Is this really interesting? Beware of scams.
When you go shopping, you are probably looking for promotions to lower the price of your basket. Since March 1, 2024, supermarkets can no longer offer promotions beyond 34% on beauty, hygiene and cleaning products. So, maybe you’ve thought about going for family sizes. Their size and red band make them eye-catching, but will you really get a good deal by buying them? Like shrinkflation, i.e. the reduction of the format without changing the price, or even cheapflation, a reduction in quality for the same amount paid, “maxi” or family formats can be a trap.
60 million consumers gave a concrete example with a sachet of Lotus wipes purchased in a Leclerc. Individually, the bag of 42 wipes is priced at 1.79 euros. A family pack is also available with 80 wipes. However, the price is more than twice as expensive since it rises to 3.99 euros. If you buy two unit packs of wipes, you get 84 for the price of 3.58 euros, or 41 cents less for four more wipes. The choice is therefore made quickly and the family offer is then of no interest to the consumer.
This phenomenon had already been denounced by Foodwatch last April. “Maxi format”, “lot x2”, the association had called for the greatest caution. She had identified no less than 12 products for which large formats were not at all a good deal. For example, there were Pépitos with a 25% increase when sold in sets of two. The Fleury Michon chicken was, for its part, 11% more expensive between 150g and 250g or even cans of coke sold in packs of eight would be more profitable than packs of 12. According to Foodwatch, the big brands tried to justify themselves by putting the blame on “the low price war” and therefore on the competition.
This process on large product formats therefore seems persistent despite previous warnings. Therefore, it seems essential to compare unit prices with the prices of family packs to avoid falling into the trap. Look carefully at the labels of single products and take out your calculator to be sure that the maxi or family package will be much more advantageous. Of course, it takes time but you will surely pay less in the end and you will not be cheated, even by a few cents.
